Regulatory Relief

The regulatory burden faced by hospitals is substantial and unsustainable.

Every day, hospitals, health systems and post-acute care providers confront the daunting task of complying with a growing number of federal regulations. They are constantly challenged to understand and implement new or revised regulations, while maintaining their core mission of providing high-quality patient care.

Providers appreciate that federal regulation is intended to ensure that health care patients receive safe, high-quality care, and prioritize it as a critical part of their day-to-day work.

But the scope and pace of the changes being made is out-stripping many providers’ ability to absorb them. At the same time, many of these regulations do not improve the quality of patient care or access to services.

Providers need relief now. Read on for more information and resources on the AHA's regulatory relief agenda.

AHA today submitted comments on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule for the home health prospective payment system for calendar year 2017.
Last week, we released a report as part of the AHA’s on-going campaign seeking regulatory relief for hospitals and health systems. It highlights how outdated fraud and abuse regulations created under the Stark and Anti-Kickback laws are barriers to transforming patient care.
Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today introduced the Electronic Health Record Regulatory Relief Act (S. 3173), legislation that would provide regulatory flexibility and hardship relief to hospitals…
Reps. Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and Ron Kind (D-WI) asks their colleagues to sign a Dear Colleague letter urging CMS to provide regulatory relief for both acute care hospitals and post-acute care providers entering into alternative payment models.
Congress must move forward with “bold solutions” to protect Medicare for today’s seniors and preserve the program for future generations, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) today told hospital leaders at the AHA Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C.